COMPROMISE PLAN DRAFTED FOR ENFIELD ROAD REDESIGN

STEPHEN OHLEMACHER; Courant Staff WriterTHE HARTFORD COURANT

Two years ago, neighbors were outraged when the state proposed to redesign a busy Elm Street intersection.

But the town council, not wanting to turn down $1.7 million in state and federal money to do the job, voted to go along with the project, on the condition that the state would work to resolve the neighbors' concerns.

Now, a committee of those neighbors has developed a compromise plan that is expected to go to the town council in the next few weeks. State transportation officials have said that the new plan is acceptable, Town Engineer Jeff Bord said. Construction is expected to begin in about three years, after state officials draft final plans and negotiate the taking of several properties.

Mayor Mary Lou Strom said she expects the council to approve the plan because it was developed by the residents.

The plan, however, is not universally praised. Some residents believe their neighborhood would still be disrupted. But proponents called it a good compromise.

"It's supposed to benefit the St. James Avenue people and the Riviera Drive people, although some might not think so," said Mary Jablonski, a member of the committee who lives on Elm Street. "I know it will benefit them more than the last plan."

The plan calls for redesigning the intersection of Elm Street, also known as Route 220, at St. James Avenue and Freshwater Boulevard.

Officials say Elm Street needs to be upgraded because heavy traffic makes it unsafe -- there are several intersections where there are no left-turn lanes, prompting motorists to switch lanes and create a hazard.

Town and state officials have been trying to develop a plan that would alleviate the problems while shielding the residential neighborhood north of Elm Street.

Currently Freshwater Boulevard intersects Elm Street between St. James Avenue and Riviera Drive.

The redesign plan calls for extending Freshwater Boulevard straight across Elm Street, creating a new entrance to the neighborhood.

The new street would extend several hundred feet north to where it would intersect with a new cross street that would run between St. James Avenue and Riviera Drive. St. James Avenue and Riviera Drive would then be closed off where they now intersect Elm Street.

The state's original plan would have had Freshwater Boulevard flow north, directly into St. James Avenue, giving motorists easy access between the mall area and the residential neighborhood.

The new design would add two stop signs and two turns for drivers crossing from Freshwater Boulevard north to St. James Avenue, presumably slowing traffic.

"The way they had it before, people would go straight across, all the way down St. James. It would have been a super highway for the kids," said Robert Rookey, chairman of the neighborhood committee. "Hopefully, we'll be able to sit back and relax and not have to worry about our kids so much."

The neighborhood committee has unanimously approved the plan. A split planning and zoning commission voted to approve the plan last week.

The plan calls for destroying two houses, at 129 Elm St. and 7 St. James Ave. Bord, the town engineer, said the Gem Jewelry store at 127 Elm St. might also have to be destroyed, but that will be up to the state Department of Transportation.

If the town council approves the project, the DOT will draft the final plans. Bord has been working with the DOT on the project.